Kerry meets with Ben Affleck over Africa issues

Feb. 26 - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with actor Ben Affleck, who delivers remarks on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).

▲ Hide Transcript

▶ View Transcript

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)
Before testifying in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as an Africa expert Wednesday, actor Ben Affleck met with Secretary of State John Kerry in at the State Department Washington, D.C..
Affleck, also the founder of Eastern Congo Initiative, may wield some insight into the deadly situation affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo, in particular, the latest string of mass killings.
"I'm particularly grateful that the Secretary, whose purview is the entire world, has taken time to focus on this issue and to recognize that this is a moment where we have a window where we can really affect change," Affleck said during a photo opportunity open to the press.
"This is a region that's suffered enormous damage and trauma, and this fire is now abating a little bit, and we have a window where engagement on the part of the Secretary, the President, the Congress, all can collectively make a real difference," Affleck added.
The "Argo" director also compared the State Department to the movie. "It's a pleasure to be back here at the State Department -- the real State Department -- I had to fake it for Argo," he joked.

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day. Reuters provides trusted business, financial, national, and international news to professionals via Thomson Reuters desktops, the world's media organizations, and directly to consumers at Reuters.com and via Reuters TV. Learn more about Thomson Reuters products: